High marks for interior

By Derek McNaughton, Postmedia News

Originally published: January 24, 2013

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

When I woke Saturday morning and saw 15 centimetres of new snow on top of the 2013 Pathfinder that we’re testing for two months, the day’s plans suddenly solidified: I now had to get to the cottage to plow snow from the laneway that reaches my old place before the temperature plummeted as forecast.

Only 90 minutes southwest of Ottawa, however, the weather was much different: there was but a mere trace of new snow — nothing that required plowing. So I took a shortcut down an unmaintained public road, looking for a snowy challenge for the Pathfinder. Still, the hard-packed snowy road was hardly anything to make the Pathfinder struggle.

So instead we’re going to look at the interior of the Pathfinder, now in week four of our eight-week winter test. And what’s remarkable right away is how close this cabin mirrors the beautiful interior of the Infiniti JX35. Sure, there are differences, but overall there is very little to object to — other than the faux wood trim of the SL 4×4 model (I prefer gloss black or aluminum).

Testing a 4Runner SR5 a few years ago uncovered nits to pick. Not so with this Pathfinder. There are ample luxury features, from good interior lighting (LEDs in front) to memory seats to an intelligent key for locking and unlocking. The entire layout is clear, uncluttered and logical with good size buttons and knobs for most of the controls.

The two main cup holders could be more flexible for different size mugs, but I appreciate the two-level deep storage in the middle armrest, as well as the small tray in front of the leather-wrapped shifter that harbours two 12V outlets.

With temperatures sinking to a nasty -30C, my favourite luxury feature is easily the heated, leather steering wheel, which after a few minutes gets almost hot, eliminating the need for gloves. The windows clear quickly and the heated seats — both front and rear — get nice and hot too, spreading warmth to the lower back. It’s like the spa treatment for everyone aboard! The dual auto climate never needs adjustment. Rear seat passengers can control the air temperature in the rear, which I like, and the driver can also adjust the rear temp. Rear seat passengers have access to a 120V outlet in our SL (with premium package), but there’s no separate 12V outlet here — though there is a 12V outlet in the armrest storage and one more in the back (for a total of four).

Rear seat room is excellent thanks to the new Pathfinder’s longer wheelbase. The second-row seats recline slightly and slide fore and aft, so adults have as much space as any full-size SUV. Accessing the third row seats is a one-latch affair, and there is, uniquely, adequate leg room (30.7 inches) for those in the third row, which can seat two. It’s still best for kids or even young teens back there, but adults can fit. The middle seats can even move with a baby seat in place.

Cargo space is good, between 1,201-1,354 litres of space with the middle seat upright. With all seats down, there’s an ample 2,260 litres. There’s also a little cubby under the deck of the rear cargo area for ropes and such. With the third row seats up, there’s still 453 litres of space.

I am, however, having an issue with the driver’s side window, which closes very slowly when it’s cold outside. The other windows work fine, so it’s probably just an adjustment. I’ve also had an issue the past two mornings when it was colder than -25C outside and got a warning that the rear parking sensor wasn’t working. After shutting off the ignition and starting the Pathfinder again, the warning was gone and the sensors worked. Maybe it is too much frost.

The backup camera in the 7-inch monitor of the centre stack is excellent. An around-view monitor is available on Platinum models, but the basic camera in our $41,000 SL ($37,698 for SL 4×4, plus premium package of $3,235 that adds Bose stereo, 13 speakers, 120V outlet, dual panorama sunroof with power sunshade) is good, clearly revealing the trailer hitch and rear bumper. With the sonar and camera, backing up shouldn’t be an issue for anyone. Connecting a trailer (up to 5,000 lbs.) can be done singlehandedly. The Bose stereo with satellite radio and iPod connectivity provides excellent sound, and the glass roof has so far not squeaked. The power rear hatch has proven handy, if a little slow to open.

The instrument cluster is especially impressive, offering a range of information controlled via a button on the steering wheel. Especially useful is the outside temperature gauge and fuel range that remain regardless of what setting you’ve selected. As a test, I wanted to see how low the fuel range numbers would go. Many range meters simply stop showing the range at 50 km when low on fuel. But isn’t this when you want the range meter to be most vigilant? It was notable, therefore, that the numbers in the Pathfinder remained until the 22 km mark before flashing a dotted line. When I filled what is supposed to be a 73-litre tank, it took 74.8 litres.